Tuesday, November 25, 2014

OSHA FINDS SHIPYARD WORKERS REPEATEDLY EXPOSED TO LIFE-THREATENING SAFETY AND HEALTH HAZARDS AT NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, FACILITY. SHIP REPAIR COMPANY FINED $101,000 FOR VIOLATIONS



OSHA finds shipyard workers repeatedly exposed to life-threatening safety and health hazards at Norfolk, Virginia, facility. Ship repair company fined $101,000 for violations


NORFOLK, Va. – While welding the frame of a U.S. Navy vessel, a shipyard worker was just 1 foot away from three open manholes that exposed the employee to potential falls of up to 30 feet.  These, and other alleged safety and health hazards, were cited against Colonna's Shipyard Inc., a ship repair facility in Norfolk, following a May 2014 inspection conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Initiated as part of the agency's Local Emphasis Program* on shipbuilding and repair, OSHA's investigation found 12 safety and health violations, including four repeat. The company faces $101,000 in proposed penalties.
"Shipyard work is traditionally hazardous, with an injury and accident rate more than twice that of construction and general industry," said Dan DeWease, director of OSHA's Norfolk Area Office. "Colonna's Shipyard must do a better job of protecting workers from the dangers associated with this type of work. With the right safeguards, accidents are preventable."


In addition to the unguarded manholes, OSHA inspectors determined that fall protection was not provided for employees working on a barge, which exposed them to a potential fall of more than 18 feet. Inspectors also found that, because of defective equipment, employees were exposed to a number of electrical hazards while welding. Having been previously cited for similar hazards in 2010, the company received four repeat citations, carrying an $85,000 penalty. A repeat violation exists when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years.
Colonna's Shipyard was also cited for four serious violations, with a $16,000 penalty, for expecting workers to use damaged electrical equipment and unguarded machinery. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known. Four additional violations were cited for other guarding, electrical and fire extinguisher hazards.
OSHA has created a Stop Falls Web page with detailed information in English and Spanish on fall protection standards. The page offers fact sheets, posters and videos that vividly illustrate various fall hazards and appropriate preventive measures.


For more information on maritime safety, visit: http://go.usa.gov/sygG.
To see the citations, visit: http://go.usa.gov/syYh* and http://go.usa.gov/syg4*.
Colonna's Shipyard, which performs repairs on U.S. Navy vessels, tugboats, barges and ferryboats, has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, meet informally with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the Norfolk Area Office at 757-441-3820.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.



FALLS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN CONSTRUCTION. 

In 2013†, there were 294 fall fatalities (284 falls to lower level) out of 796 total fatalities in construction. These deaths are preventable.
† 2013 Bureau of Labor Statistics are preliminary
Falls can be prevented and lives can be saved through three simple steps:




This website is part of OSHA's nationwide outreach campaign to raise awareness among workers and employers about the hazards of falls from ladders, scaffolds and roofs. The educational resources page gives workers and employers information about falls and how to prevent them. There are also training tools for employers to use and posters to display at their worksites. Many of the new resources target vulnerable workers with limited English proficiency.
We invite you to join in this effort by helping to reach workers and employers in your community with the resources you find on this site. OSHA will continue to add information and tools to this page throughout the year.



OSHA has partnered with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) - Construction Sector on this nationwide outreach campaign to raise awareness among workers and employers about common fall hazards in construction, and how falls from ladders, scaffolds and roofs can be prevented and lives can be saved. Here's how:

PLAN ahead to get the job done safely
When working from heights, such as ladders, scaffolds, and roofs, employers must plan projects to ensure that the job is done safely. Begin by deciding how the job will be done, what tasks will be involved, and what safety equipment may be needed to complete each task.
When estimating the cost of a job, employers should include safety equipment, and plan to have all the necessary equipment and tools available at the construction site. For example, in a roofing job, think about all of the different fall hazards, such as holes or skylights and leading edges, then plan and select fall protection suitable to that work, such as personal fall arrest systems (PFAS).


PROVIDE the right equipment
  Workers who are six feet or more above lower levels are at risk for serious injury or death if they should fall. To protect these workers, employers must provide fall protection and the right equipment for the job, including the right kinds of ladders, scaffolds, and safety gear.

Different ladders and scaffolds are appropriate for different jobs. Always provide workers with the kind they need to get the job done safely. For roof work, there are many ways to prevent falls. If workers use personal fall arrest systems (PFAS), provide a harness for each worker who needs to tie off to the anchor. Make sure the PFAS fits, and regularly inspect all fall protection equipment to ensure it's still in good condition and safe to use.


TRAIN everyone to use the equipment safely
Falls can be prevented when workers understand proper set-up and safe use of equipment, so they need training on the specific equipment they will use to complete the job. Employers must train workers in hazard recognition and in the care and safe use ladders, scaffolds, fall protection systems, and other equipment they'll be using on the job.

OSHA has provided numerous materials and resources that employers can use during toolbox talks to train workers on safe practices to avoid falls in construction. Falls from ladders, scaffolds and roofs can be prevented and lives can be saved through three simple steps: Plan, Provide and Train.



Nov. 19, 2014
Mobile, Alabama-based shipbuilder cited for serious safety and health violations Company cited 3 times in the last 5 years
MOBILE, Ala. – Austal USA LLC was cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for 12 safety and health violations that involved fall and other hazards following a May 2014 complaint regarding the Mobile shipbuilder's facility. Proposed penalties total $41,500.

"The government expects that contractors, such as Austal, should not only deliver a good product, but also conduct operations in a safe manner," said Joseph Roesler, OSHA's area director in Mobile. "The lack of attention to safety and health issues unnecessarily exposed employees to hazards at the Mobile facility, and these hazards need to be addressed and controlled throughout the shipbuilding process."


Nine serious citations were issued for lack of standard railings on all staircases, which exposed workers to fall* hazards; improperly secured gas cylinders; and failure to reduce the pressure in a compressed air device to less than 30-pounds-per-square inch when cleaning. OSHA also cited the company for allowing worker overexposure to copper fumes during welding operations. Other citations included failure to ensure workers followed safety procedures to prevent accidental machine startup and to protect workers from unguarded machinery

Three other citations were issued for using temporary flexible cable instead of permanent wiring, improperly labeling hazardous chemicals and failure to ensure that temporary wiring was not damaged. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

OSHA has cited this facility three times in the past five years. The company was issued citations for improper use of slings and maritime gear, poor walking and working surfaces, a lack of accident prevention signage and electrical hazards.


Austal USA is a global contractor, designer and manufacturer of defense and commercial ships. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, request a conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Mobile Area Office at 251-441-6131. 

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.
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